Sitka Spruce/Koa Classical Guitar

[S.D.Vellone]

Hello, I'm new here to AGF. I've been roaming around for a few months and finally decided to share this build with you. But before the pics, here's a little more about me.

I've been playing mostly electric guitar for roughly 6-7 years now and am in a lutherie program in Montreal, Canada. I'm at my 3rd year in the program and am a graduate student at Bruand guitar shop. The school is run by André Brunet, who is my teacher/director. When I first got into the program I had build one electric guitar at home and had very little wood-working experience apart from that one guitar. At the time, playing mostly electric guitar, I never took any interest in acoustic or classical guitars.

Here I am now at my third and final guitar made in school. After studying lutherie for the past 3 years now, I have developped a new interest and passion for acoustic and classical guitars. I am not taking anything away from electric guitars as I still am very much excited about them, but the feeling of making an acoustic/classical is somewhat more rewarding. To shape something with the intention for it to become something as responsive as this is almost overwhelming to me.

Now enough with the chit-chat and on with the specs and pics!

Scale: 650mm
Bracing style: Romanillos '73 classical guitar
Soundboard: Bearclaw Sitka Spruce
Back/Sides: Lightly Flamed Koa
Neck: Mahogany
Fingerboard/Bridge: Ebony
Headstock/Rosette: Koa veneer
Binding: Ebony
Width neck: 51.5mm
Width 12th fret: 61.5mm
Depth 12th fret: 94mm
Depth at endblock: 98mm

Neck glued to the Soundboard:


Sides bent:


Heel:


Headstock:


Rosette:


I should be posting pictures as this progresses, at least once per week. In the following week I should be gluing the sides to the sounboard and radiusing the side, as well as gluing the kerfed lining. Also since I'm currently building 3 guitars until May, I want to let you all know that I'm putting about 3days/week on this guitar so progress might seem slow.

Thank you,
Stefano

[hnuuhiwa]

Welcome to the AGF Stefano...nice build you have there, we'll look forward to watching its progress. Aloha, Hen

[mcozma]

Welcome and keep those pictures coming!

[S.D.Vellone]

Here's where I'm at with this guitar. Sides are glued in and kerfed lining is glued to the soundboard. I'm currently radiusing the back.

This week is Spring Break, so there will be lot's of progress with this build.




Btw, any quick tips on bending ebony bindings.

Oh, and here's why this build isn't progressing as fast as it should, enjoy!

[S.D.Vellone]

Alright, after a while without posting here are the updates.

Sides have been radius'ed and shellaced


Back is braced, shellaced and ready to go!


Fingerboards and bridge will be of Madagascar Rosewood (got my hands on quite a few blanks for pretty cheap!)


Here it as assembled


And with binding


Also, I should be gluing on the fretboard as well as shapping the neck in the next week or so. I should be ready by the end of next week to go spray (15th-16th)

[S.D.Vellone]

Here's the guitar with a few coats of KTM-9.





I'll be heading to the spray-booth once more on Thursday and then off I am with the final sanding.